The Extra Can't be A Hero

Chapter 269 269: Eloping Again (1)

Two days after the funeral procession, a breaking news story shook the capital.

It wasn't that the Demon Cult had invaded once more. Neither was it the death of an illustrious official. It was something far more… serious.

"What do you mean Amon Solaris is missing?"

Rumours spread through the capital like wildfire, and for good reason. Amon Solaris was now considered the most powerful sword humanity had against the Demon Cult, and his life and death were imperative to their great war. If Amon sneezed, the whole Hyades Republic would know about it, and there would be speculations that he caught an incurable disease that could weaken humanity.

So for him to disappear without a trace sent the capital into a mini-panic.

But when they found out the reason for his disappearance…

"Apparently, he disappeared with his fiancée."

"Went missing? Did the Demon Cult attack him?"

"No, that's not it… They left a letter saying they… eloped."

"What?"

"They eloped? Aren't they married? Why do they need to elope?"

"No idea, but they've been doing that since they were ten."

Soon, the whole Hyades Republic was buzzing over the rumours of the Fantasy Couple. High officials criticised his lack of awareness for leaving at this critical juncture. But they were rapidly pushed back by the common folk, who largely supported the young hero.

Especially the young women who dreamt of romance.

"My goodness, they sure are passionate! Being in love sure is a beautiful thing!"

"Why haven't they gotten married yet? Or rather, it's surprising there hasn't been an accident yet!"

"The Fantasy Couple really lives up to their name!"

While arranged marriages weren't that common anymore, it was still tantalising to hear a medieval-type romance where two lovebirds were joined together for the sake of their families. However, the truth was that Yue forced Amon into an engagement, but few knew it.

Alas, not everyone was thrilled by Amon and Yue's elopement.

"What are those idiots doing?"

Alrock rubbed his wrinkled forehead as he cursed the young'un who left the capital in the middle of the night.

"We don't know when the Demon Cult will launch their attack. Instead of calming the situation down, they decided to go on a vacation?"

"Haha, it's been a while since they got any time to relax. Maybe that's how they decide to destress?"

Leon quickly came to their defence, but that only fanned the flames of Alrock's rage.

"Leon! Shouldn't you be the angriest about this? Amon threw all of Eldorin's responsibilities on you and left to frolic and play! Urgh, that young'un is the death of me."

Alrock continued to complain, but he didn't bother to send a pursuit squad after them.

Not that he didn't want to, but he couldn't.

Yue's mastery over space magic was beyond anyone's comprehension. Even if the Archmagister himself tried, he wouldn't be able to sniff the slightest clue of where they teleported to. Not only that, even if they did manage to find them… what could they do?

Amon was now the most powerful human in the world, and Yue was a close second.

If these two wished to disappear, no one on the planet could ever hope to find them or drag them back.

"Amon did pass over the responsibility to me, but… wasn't it about time? Besides, being the Commander of Eldorin is a huge honour. Amon has laid the foundations down, and now it's my turn to develop him."

Leon's blue eyes sparkled with youthful determination.

The young man's disposition had always been selfless and heroic. He would sacrifice all of his time and energy if it meant that he could save another soul. And Amon handing over Eldorin to him was the next step in Leon's growth as the hero.

"Also, with Amon's power, it would be a waste for him to be handling administrative tasks. He should be the figurehead, the trump card of Eldorin. Only deployed when and where we need him most."

"Hah… you're really pampering him."

Alrock was furious, but he knew better than to argue with an Amon fanatic. Somehow, Amon had managed to inspire more devotion in Leon than Alrock himself ever had—and Alrock was Leon's own grandfather.

Without an outlet to vent, the only thing Alrock could do was sigh and wonder:

"I wonder where that young'un went…"

❖❖❖

Far away from the capital and even Solfea, there was a simple land beyond the reach of regular beings.

A dormant volcano, one that hadn't erupted in millions of years, aged its crater into a verdant and luscious caldera. The caldera was an ancient cradle of stone and life, its bowl so vast and green that it seemed shaped by the hands of the gods themselves. Sunlight poured in from above, caught by drifting mist, and scattered into a gentle glow that bathed everything in a serene, dreamlike haze.

Verdant grasses rolled across the caldera floor like a living sea, their emerald waves swaying with every whisper of wind.

Wildflowers, vibrant and abundant, peppered the prairie in bursts of colour, violets mingling with gold, pinks brushing against ivory petals. The air carried a perpetual coolness, touched by the faint scent of fresh water.

From the far side of the caldera, where the rock walls rose steep and ancient, a waterfall spilt over the rim like a ribbon of silver. It descended in a graceful arc before crashing into a clear pool below, filling the caldera with the soothing roar of falling water.

Just off-centre from the caldera's natural basin stood a cabin—humble, warm, and welcoming.

Stone formed its lower walls, sturdily fitted together, while dark wooden beams rose to support a roof of weathered slate. Vines had begun to creep along its sides, not from neglect, but because the place welcomed such things.

A thin line of smoke drifted from the chimney, weaving lazily into the air before dissolving into the caldera's light. A flower garden wrapped the hut in a gentle, curated embrace. Rows of marigolds and sage lined the stone path leading to the door, while moon lilies bloomed in elegant arcs near the windows.

Clusters of glowing blossoms—ones touched subtly by magic—bloomed at dusk, lighting the garden in soft, ethereal hues. Small floating orbs of light drifted among them, hovering like fireflies made of warm enchantment.

Everything about the place—its gentle prairie, its glowing garden, its sheltering walls of green stone—felt intentionally, lovingly tranquil.

Not just a refuge, but a home carved from nature and magic, ideally suited for two souls who had earned a life of quiet after decades of storms.

This caldera was not merely a hidden sanctuary—it was a love nest for the pair who had visited.

"You found quite a nice refuge," Amon remarked with a satisfied smile.

Initially, when Yue mentioned that she wished to elope, Amon followed suit purely out of curiosity. Also, he wanted to satisfy his lover's desires, and obeying her orders was the only way he knew how.

But as she revealed this sanctuary of the mind to him… Amon found peace.

"Yes, I meant this place as our retirement home… or, just a place for us to retreat."

Yue gazed tenderly at the abode, beaming with pride at her creation.

"Come, I have some of the best tea leaves growing here."

As Amon and Yue entered the house, a few spirits tended to the flower garden. One of them brought forth the tea leaves while another poured hot water. In no time, the tea was brewed, and Amon was drinking it.

"Refreshing… I could get used to this."

"Glad you liked it!"

Yue couldn't hold back her joy.

It was the simple pleasures like this that she yearned for.

Not standing at the top of the world or having absolute power to rule over others.

Just Amon and her, silently enjoying each other's company without a care in the world.

"Amon… I know that this may be hard to say, but… Could you tell me more about your past life?"

"Why ask that?"

"Is it wrong for a wife to know everything about her husband?"

"Heh, you're right."

A faint blush appeared on Amon's cheeks, but he didn't bother to hide it. Instead, he was savouring every second of his newfound emotions, embracing all of their warmth and shyness.

"It all started when I was brought to the lab."

Without holding anything back, Amon began to recount his entire life as Number 23. From being forced into the artificial Transcendent program, to his relationship with Nixon, the multiple people he killed as a weapon of the Empire, and finally, his death at the hands of the thousand Transcendents.

It was all new to Yue, who hadn't managed to get Amon so vulnerable before.

But she held his hand tightly while she soaked in the new information about her lover.

Nothing that Amon could say would diminish her love for him, and that comforted Amon. And as he reached the tail end of his story, Amon's golden eyes shook as he spoke the words that plagued his heart ever since his emotions returned.

"Yue… Can I ask you a sensitive question?"

"Of course, anything."

"Why… Why do you love me?"

"..."

Amon's golden eyes met with Yue's ruby ones. They didn't speak for a good ten seconds, as they attempted to read each other's emotions.

In Amon, there was fear.

He didn't know why, but he feared losing Yue… and her love. If her love was misguided and he was just a shell of himself in his previous life… Yue would have no reason to stay with him.

In Yue, there was doubt.

Yue doubted whether to tell Amon. Her love for Amon would never diminish, even if he caused the downfall of every living human on the planet. What she doubted was… if she told him the truth… would he still love her?

It was only after reconciling her inner turmoil that Yue finally let go of her doubts as she spoke.

"Amon… Will you listen to my story?"